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Square Foot Gardening

chiggers in the garden

14 years ago

Does anyone else close enough to the woods to have chiggers? I didn't consider them, knew they were in the outer edge of the yard, but never thought they would become part of my garden. I have to spray down before entering and sometimes that isn't enough. I am learning to live with the few who get past the spray. Anyone else have this problem and if so any help out there?

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Comments (14)

stephanieftx
14 years ago
Applying beneficial nematodes every 6 weeks or so will drastically cut down on your chiggers, fleas, ticks, and other soil borne pests (like roaches, cut worms, grubs, etc).

Now, if I could just find something to eliminate the mosquitos!!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Haphazard Gardener
angela12345
14 years ago
Question about beneficial nematodes ... I also have marigolds planted throughout the garden and know these are good for nematode suppression. If I apply beneficial nematodes, will the marigolds also suppress the beneficials ?

Let me know if you find anything to control mosquitoes. They seem to love hanging out around my garden and attack as soon as I step foot towards that direction !
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DH gets very few bites because he wears long pants tucked into his combat boots... I guess I might just have to go with his method. Of course, men also get fewer bites since they tend to have thicker skin, geh (maybe men need thicker skin to put up with us women?). I mostly get bites behind the knees (maddening when I try to walk), though a few do get me at the sockline, inner thigh, waistband, braline etc. Good grief I hate them! Showering does indeed help wash them off before they bite (or at least before they have too much time to inject their nasty skin-liquefying enzymes) but with the drought I'd wanted to avoid showering twice a day. Also I used to like to put aside a set of "gardening clothes" that I'd wear two-three times before washing them (since I only get 1/2 hr - 1 hr. stretches in the garden anyway), but apparently reusing clothing between washes is one of the best ways to get lots of chigger bites. Ah well, shorter showers and maybe some extra sets of gardening clothes so I have enough to make full wash loads will probably be the answer. Maybe bug spray too... but neighbors are too nearby for me to garden nude, heh. DH probably wouldn't mind watching, but he'd get mad at the other folks around. Despite how horrible they are, it's kinda nice to hear others have them around too -- a few people were trying to tell me that chiggers are only found in deep woods etc. and I made me think I might just be crazy. Well, we do have plenty of rabbits and birds around here though, so it makes sense that they'd be around our home.
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Well..hubby and I are now renting a home in Pennsylvania after living in Missouri the past 3 years. I got to know chiggers really well and can tell you that I never knew when I was being bit until it was too late...like the next day or so. They are sneaky and you suffer for it later...People have told me there are chiggers in Pennsylvania but thankfully I haven't found them yet :) In Missouri, whenever I felt a subtle "sting" and got an itch the next day it was mostly from those "no-see-em's." Sometimes I swear they are worse than chigger bites. You can get bit by them just sitting on your porch! I now have the same problem bulldinkie described...One of those black & white winged flies got into the house on Monday and bit me and today it itches like crazy!
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Got the chigger problem also. Because the critters crawl up on upper grass shoots and wait for animals (me) to stand still next to the grass wherein they move from the grass to the blood furnisher (me). Unless the animal smells uninviting from that nasty Deet stuff that really works well. Pick your poison. I either spray the lower climb-aboard area with Deet-kind of stuff if I will be outside in the feeding fields, or I do NOT stand still while in the grass. At all. I make sure that there are a fair number of fire ant mounds scattered around the place, since they patrol all over the grassy area looking for food, such as chigger eggs, flea eggs, etc. I am not interested to regularly spray poison all over the property with bunches of fruiting plants to slow down chiggers, which can simply migrate from other next-door unpoisoned property if any chigger vacancy signs go up here.
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walkerjks
14 years ago
"Now, if I could just find something to eliminate the mosquitos!!"
Bats? I really don't know the situation in DFW, but building a bat house for a local species of bat could quickly deal with your mosquito problem.

Along with all the normal "don't leave standing water for mosquito larva" methods.
stephanieftx
14 years ago
Marigolds deter bad nematodes, not good ones. The beneficial nematodes will be good for all your soil and plants. The marigolds won't bother the beneficials.

Stephanie
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
What are menatodes? And how do I get them?
gabbygardner
14 years ago
Ok-lowraine, I promise I am only teasing a little;) But, when you transposed the "m" and "n" on nematodes, my mind made a mental picture of an angry toad-very cute.

I am actually just learning about them myself, but I found a ton of info on a google search about the little devils.

Thanks for letting me tease - a little;)

g
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
Never too old to learn are we? I guess it is time for me to google as well. I watered my garden and tied my cabbage and yes I have three new chiggers (at last count). Ain't life fun.
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
gabby, the count came in at nine.
gabbygardner
14 years ago
Lowraine, I am feeling for ya!! Those chiggers sound downright evil!! Biting little buggers!! I hope you can get rid of them. Mite larvae right, I looked them up. I can't believe how yucky they are.

Sounds like drowning them might be the only way. The sight I saw said to drown them in soapy water a couple times a week, and they may not come back. Worth a try I guess.

Good Luck!!

g
stephanieftx
14 years ago
I've found that Tea Tree Oil is the answer for mosquito bites, ant bites, and chigger bites. Just dab it on with a q-tip and the itchiness and stinging are gone in a few minutes. The raised welt goes away soon after, too. You can find it in the vitamins/supplement section of the store.
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions, green tea oil and soapy water. I will try both.
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
I am ready to attack the chiggers with soapy water. Can someone give me a formula for a gallon sprayer and soap? Also, do I spray the top as well as the underside of the plants. I know for a fact that they live on the edging of the garden sections.
gabbygardner
14 years ago
Hey Lowraine: I found a great list of natural recipes here on GW. The link is below.

Here is another place to try: it looked very interesting.
http://www.pallasathenesoap.com/puresoap/insect.pdf

Good Luck!!

g

Here is a link that might be useful: GW organic recipes for insecticides and fungicides
lowraine
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks

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